Ford ties Toyota in Strategic Vision 2008 Total Quality Awards

Strategic Vision has announced the results of its annual Total Quality Awards and is touting the performance of Ford this year versus perennial powerhouse Toyota. Both brands have three vehicles each that lead their segments, which include the Edge, Mustang Convertible and F-250/350 for Ford and Toyota's Yaris, 4Runner and Sequoia. The Volvo C30 also led the Small Specialty under $25,000 segment and the Mercury Sable the Large Car category, while the Scion xB was tops in the Small Multi-Function segment and the Lexus RX350 tied with the Land Rover LR2 in the Near Luxury SUV segment. Though all of those brands are technically owned by either Ford Motor Company or Toyota North America, none were counted by Strategic Vision in the battle of the Blue Oval versus the Japanese Juggernaut, though the automakers still would've tied if they were (if Land Rover were not counted as owned by Ford). Meanwhile, the Medium Car segment was lead by the Volkswagen Jetta, though the new Chevy Malibu jumped to second place (how are the Jetta and Malibu in the same segment?), and Honda had only one car make the list, with the Odyssey being named the best Minivan. Follow the jump to view the leaders of all 19 segments.
While most surveys like this count objective stats like the number of problems encountered during initial ownership, Strategic Vision introduces additional criteria by which to judge vehicle quality like the buying experience, what it's like to own a particular car, its performance and driving and even exterior and interior styling. There's a lot of subjectivity in those additional criteria, which tends to skew the results as a whole regardless of the 20,655 buyer-strong sample pool that was surveyed on the 2008 vehicles it bought during September, October and November of last year. Also, as we were reminded by this post, keep in mind that most automakers are actually clients of Strategic Vision, Ford and Toyota included, so there's also money passing hands between these companies. The appearance of conflicts of interest notwithstanding, new car buyers love lists and automakers work hard to land on them, so you decide for yourself how much weight to give to Strategic Vision's 2008 Total Quality Awards.


PRESS RELEASE

The 2008 Total Quality Awards™
Ford vs. Toyota: The Battle for Total Quality Intensifies, Reports Strategic Vision

For immediate release - Wednesday, May 28, 2008

San Diego – Toyota and Ford tied for leading in the most segments on Strategic Vision's Total Quality Index™ (TQI), leading with three vehicles each. Toyota lead with its Yaris, 4Runner and Sequoia while Ford lead with the Edge, Mustang Convertible and F-250/350. The San Diego based research firm today announced the 2008 results that are based on the ratings by new vehicle owners in 19 product segments.

Toyota Motor Sales had two additional leaders with the Scion xB and the Lexus RX 350 (which tied with Land Rover's LR2); while Ford Motor Company added two additional wins with the Mercury Sable and Volvo C30. "Ford is back, establishing its vehicle quality in the hearts and minds of its customers," says Alexander Edwards, president of Strategic Vision's automotive division. "The Ford Edge is one of the vehicles Ford can be proud of. By careful attention to key areas such as exterior styling, workmanship and performance, (which are the cues that signal quality for crossover customers), Ford is building vehicles that also build brand equity and perceived customer quality."

The Total Quality Index™ is the premier measure of new vehicle owner satisfaction. It asks buyers to rate all aspects of the ownership experience, from buying and owning to performance and driving. It is much more than simply counting problems. "Innovation and thoughtfulness in functionality and design, keeping in mind how the customer will interact and use the vehicle, is essential," reports Dr. Darrel Edwards, Founder and CEO of Strategic Vision. "Vehicles like the Volvo C30 and Toyota Sequoia are both terrific examples of providing customers with this 'functional luxury' in a very stylish design suggesting quality both on the inside and out."

Mercedes, Honda and Chevrolet brands each had two leaders: Mercedes leading with the S-Class and SL, Honda with the Odyssey and Ridgeline, and Chevrolet with the Corvette Convertible and a tie with itself in full size trucks between the Avalanche and Silverado. From three leads last year, Hyundai took the lead in only one segment this year with its Santa Fe in one of the most competitive automotive segments, the Smaller SUVs. The Volkswagen Jetta, Chrysler 300C and BMW X5 were each TQI leaders. Also worthy of mention is the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu, now second in the highly competitive Medium Car segment.

"Over the past quarter century in the US, customer perceptions of quality of domestic and Asian manufacturers underwent large swings. Today, it doesn't matter if you are a Toyota or a Ford, BMW or Hyundai, each manufacturer has the opportunity and mandate to produce a product with the right Cues of Quality - those product attributes that signal quality and create customer Trust - and present vehicles that have a greater impact on the purchase decision," says Alexander Edwards.

Buyers rated the following vehicles tops in their segments:

Segment Winner(s) TQI Score
Small Car Toyota Yaris 860
Small Multi-Function Scion xB 876
Medium Car Volkswagen Jetta 911
Large Car Mercury Sable 877
Small Specialty Under $25,000 Volvo C30 T5 Hatchback 908
Near Luxury Car Chrysler 300C 927
Luxury Car Mercedes-Benz S-Class Sedan* 950
Convertibles Under $30,000 Ford Mustang Convertible 896
Convertibles Over $30,000 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible*, Mercedes-Benz SL 940/939
Minivan Honda Odyssey 864
Small SUV Hyundai Santa Fe* 866
Medium Crossover Ford Edge 877
Medium SUV Toyota 4Runner 891
Large SUV Toyota Sequoia 897
Near Luxury SUV Lexus RX 350*, Land Rover LR2 913/912
Luxury SUV BMW X5 907
Standard Pick-Up Honda Ridgeline* 878
Large Pickup Chevrolet Avalanche 1500, Chevrolet Silverado 1500 880/880
Heavy Duty Pickup Ford F-250/350 863

*2007 Total Quality Award™ winner

The Total Quality Index™ was calculated from the responses of 20,655 buyers who bought 2008 models in September, October and November of 2007. Strategic Vision has presented Total Quality annually since 1995.

Since its incorporation in 1989, Strategic Vision has studied consumer and constituent decision-making for the widest variety of clients, including most auto manufacturers, Coca-Cola, American Airlines, Procter and Gamble, as well as for most advertising agencies. Its unique expertise is identifying consumers' motivational hierarchies, including the values that shape perceptions and capture the customers' emotional responses and drive behavior. The firm's in-depth Discovery Interviews and ValueCentered Surveys provide comprehensive, integrated and actionable outcomes.

[ Via: Strategic Vision ]
[ Tag: ford quality, FordQuality, strategic vision, strategic vision tot..., StrategicVision, StrategicVisionTot..., toyota quality, ToyotaQuality ]

Ford to make fewer Volvos, possibly in prep for sale

Volvo, once the success story in Ford's Premier Automotive Group, has hit choppy waters. And according to Wall Street Journal insiders, Ford is preparing to treat the Swedish automaker the same way it did the English ones: slap some floaties on it and keep the brand bobbing long enough to sell it.
Volvo made $94 million in profit in Q1 of 2007, but lost $151 million in Q1 of this year. In total, over the past two years, the once smiling Swede has lost $1.7 billion, part of which is due to exchange rates, and another is due to selling fewer cars. To combat the decline, Volvo is shedding up to a third of its work force at one European plant, and cutting back on production at another. As you would suspect, both of those plants make the largest vehicles in Volvo's lineup.
A couple of weeks ago, Ford was intriguingly -- or deceitfully -- still in "Volvo's not for sale" mode. Now it appears that Mulally has admitted to some Ford execs that Volvo is about to wear the "Needs a Caring Home" sign. Jerry York, the right hand man of Kirk Kerkorian, maintains that Volvo will probably be sold in 18 months. The way things look now, we'd be surprised if it took that long.

[ Via: Yahoo! ]
[ Tag: ford, manufacturing, plants, volvo, volvo factories, volvo factory, volvo losses, volvo production, volvo sale, volvo sales, VolvoFactories, VolvoFactory, VolvoLosses, VolvoProduction, VolvoSale, VolvoSales ]

In The Autoblog Garage: 2008 Volvo C30 V2.0

We've been told for so long that hatches don't sell here in the U.S., so it's surprising to see a new crop of two-box premium cars going on sale. MINI started it with its R53 Coopers; retro flash met modern dash and it sold successfully enough to warrant an upgrade to the R56. Volvo's got the same lust for entry-level customers to its premium wares, so on the scene rolls the C30. Based off the S40, the C30 reaches back over three generations of boxy-but-good styling to a time when Swedish cars wearing the alchemist's symbol for iron had curves and a shooting brake profile. Hatch/wagon/brake/estate - call it what you will, Volvo's hoping it can call the C30 a success.
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All photos ©2008 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc.
click any image to enlarge

Nomenclature aside, here's the modern equivalent of the 1800ES. Its forebear's rump set the tone with a postern rendered in glass, and the C30 follws suit. The visage is essentially what you'll find on the S40, though the airdam and headlamps are subtly different. The Version 2.0 model also gets sportier ground effects and a rear roof spoiler. The look is eye catching; people notice the C30. The C30 T5 - they're all T5s in the U.S. - in the Autoblog Garage looked super natty in Cosmic White with a root beer brown accent around the entire bottom of the car. Fenders are filled with 18-inch wheels wrapped in wide 215/45 tires that deliver sharp reflexes. Big tires with small, stiff sidewalls extract a penalty over every bump in exchange for their grip. Tramlining occurs more often than on less sporty Volvos, but the tires aren't so excessively wide that the steering tries to follow every rut. On the pothole-ridden byways of late-winter New England, the 18s aren't the smartest choice. Such rubber-bandy fitment induces cringes on pocked surfaces, and it's common for alloy rims to need a trueing as a maintenance item. Little responsiveness and handling acuity would be given up for a drop to 215/55/16s, and the ride would improve.

You will jiggle when the suspension deflects, but Volvo has learned a thing or two about chassis tuning since the jackhammer days of the first T5-trimmed 850. While stiffness in the suspension can border on harsh, you can never have too much chassis rigidity. The C30's structure is solid, which makes it feel tight and substantial. Quick handling is a by-product of the unshakeable foundation - the chassis doesn't wind up. Tidy dimensions and a fabulously chunky optional sport steering wheel work in concert with nice rack weighting to point the C30 where you'd like it to go. Stiff ride or no, taking a set and carving a line isn't a problem in this baby. Once you've emerged from the canyons, the C30 is also a docile, calm cruiser on the interstate. 28 mpg highway (if you keep your foot out of the turbocharged five cylinder) makes for legs that are moderately long.

227 horsepower channeled through the front wheels could be a recipe for ridiculous torque steer, and there is some "noise" in the steering from the FF layout, but we didn't find torque steer to be an issue. Slightly wonky electronic throttle response made it easy to call for too much torque, which would translate into wheelspin upon takeoff if there was so much as a pebble of sand. Once launched, the electronic throttle funkiness shows up in second gear, too, where you sometimes get a lot more go than you asked for.


The sport steering wheel was joined by a matching shift knob, both wearing aluminum accents. Dress it up however you like, the C30's shifter is as vague as a campaign promise. The metal insert is also chilly on a winter morn. Once acclimated to the long throws and balky gates - we got stuck on the 4-5 upshift a few times - smoothly coordinating throttle, clutch and gear selection becomes easy. Volvo clutches have always been forgiving and the C30 benefits from that history, making smooth driving easy.

Volvo's decades-long tradition of fine seats precedes the C30. For $28,000, however, we might have expected to find leather on the seats instead of the Kalix and T-Tec mix that swathed the chairs. Appropriately supportive in all the right places with a comprehensive range of manual adjustments, the black and light gray color combination looks good and keeps you in place when working the tires. The rest of the controls are laid out with clean Scandinavian design on the extra-thin center stack that Volvo's lately been making its trademark interior feature. There are few cars with such straightforward and self explanatory secondary controls as you'll find in a Volvo, and the LCD display acts as a guide to what the four knobs on the center stack do. Grab the tuning knob and the screen switches to an emulation of a tuning scale like radios used to carry. Proper knobs for volume, tuning, fan and temperature cover all the bases elegantly.

The rest of the interior wears Offblack; marketing speak for very gray. It's quiet inside, too, all the better to crank up the excellent stereo with 10 drivers by Dynaudio, maker of some very high-end gear found in recording studios. Surround-sound in a car is a dubious feature, so we ran it in two channel mode, and it did not disappoint when we sent Stanton Moore's III through the auxiliary jack.


While the C30 is short in length to the point of being stubby, it's still larger than its main bogey, the MINI. It also pays homage to the past without being overwrought and too-kyoote. There's room for a deluxe child seat in the back seat, a pretty tough test when the vehicle size gets down in this range. Pull a lever on the front seats and they slide easily out of the way. It's no Maybach 62, but there is useable rear seat and cargo area room. It'd still be best to think of the rear seats as occasional use only. The glass hatch looks great and makes loading easy, just watch your pants on the bumper. With the rear seats in use, it may be tight to get a couple sets of golf clubs or a stroller in there, but we didn't have any problem with capacity once we put the split-folding backseat to use. Outward visibility is good, especially through the glassy tail.

We applaud Volvo for having the confidence to release a hatchback, and the C30 is unique in many good ways. Smart styling and a chassis that doesn't yelp in fear when asked to perform ups the appeal to the hip young people who this car is trying to snag. Older folks and Volvisti appreciate the styling homages to classical Volvos with the strong shoulders and specifically the nod to the 1800ES in the roofline. The overall feeling is modernity, versus the kitschy neo-retro in the MINI, and the C30 offers buyers another option, albeit for a dearer base price. Similarly equipped competitors aren't tremendously cheaper. A Cooper offering this level of performance is carrying the S badge and mid-20's pricing. Here's hoping that Volvo disproves the notion about Americans preferring sedans. The C30 is fun, fleet and functional.
Many thanks to Josh and Jetson the ES!
All photos ©2008 Dan Roth / Weblogs, Inc.


[ Via: Autoblog (Volvo) ]
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15 millionth Volvo rolls off the assembly line

It took over 80 years, but Volvo has hit a mega milestone with the production of its 15,000,000th vehicle. The big number was hit with a C70 convertible, which rolled off the assembly line yesterday in Uddevalla, Sweden.Although Volvo started as SKF in 1911, it wasn't until 1927 that the company produced its first vehicle, the ÖV4, of which it made only 297 examples in its first year. Volvo's production capacity as a major automaker has, of course, long since far exceeded that rate. However the 200-Series, produced between 1974 and 1993, remains the best-selling Volvo of all time, with over 2.8 million units sold. Swedophiles can read more in the press release after the jump, and check out our 29-image high-resolution gallery of the 2008 Volvo C70 below.

[ Via: Autoblog (Volvo) ]
[ Tag: 15 millionth volvo, 15,000,000th volvo, 15,000,000thVolvo, 15m volvo, 15MillionthVolvo, 15mVolvo, volvo 15 million, volvo 15,000,000, volvo 15m, volvo fifteen million, Volvo15,000,000, Volvo15m, Volvo15Million, VolvoFifteenMillion ]

In the Autoblog Garage: 2008 Volvo XC70 [w/VIDEO]

While station wagons are a very big part of the European automotive landscape, here in the States the two-box design sells much better when it's a crossover. We Americans don't have many choices on the true wagon front, mostly because high volume demand simply doesn't exist. One wagon that has been around for a while is the Volvo XC70, which combines much of the rugged AWD utility of an SUV with traditional wagon packaging.
The XC70 is all-new for 2008, including its Ford Mondeo-derived platform, 3.2L engine and more refined sheet metal. On paper, the XC70 delivers a good-looking, safe and evolved station wagon to go head-to-head with upscale utility vehicles, but how will it hold up in the Autoblog Garage? Hit the jump to find out.

[ Via: Autoblog (Volvo) ]
[ Tag: 2008 Volvo XC70, 2008VolvoXc70, Autoblog Garage, AutoblogGarage, AWD, featured, Station Wagon, StationWagon, Volvo XC70, VolvoXc70 ]

Hot Rod Jakob a stunning tribute to first Volvos

You may remember Lief Tufvesson as the ex-Volvo employee turned SEMA regular who arrives in Las Vegas nearly every year with another new custom Volvo hot rod of some sort. The T6 Roadster and V8 Speedster are his most noteworthy creations, but he's arrived early this year with the Hot Rod Jakob, so named because it's design has been modeled after the first run of Volvos produced back in 1927 that also carried the nickname "Jakob". Tufvesson's company Caresto is behind the project, which began all the way back in 2005.
This new age Jakob is powered by a modern turbocharged inline five-cylinder engine that puts out 265 horsepower and 273 pound feet of torque. While that's three cylinders short of what you'd expect to find powering a traditional hot rod, the Volvo T5 unit doesn't have much weight to move thanks to a chassis made entirely of carbon fiber except for the engine's steel subframe, and a body skinned in hand-beaten aluminum that hides from view the suspension and exhaust hardware. Those wheels are 10x22" AEZ Forge rims up front, 8x19" versions in back and are supposed to mimic the look of the original wooden-spoked ones. They're also wrapped in custom-milled Pirelli rubber that feature Volvo's iron symbol.
It's a gorgeous rod of hotness, for sure, and you may get to see it when Volvo takes the Hot Rod Jakob on a tour of its homeland and the USA later this year. Until then it will sit at the Volvo Museum in Göteborg where the company first got its start.

[ Via: Autoblog (Volvo) ]
[ Tag: Caresto, hot rod jakob, HotRodJakob, jakob, Lief Tufvesson, LiefTufvesson, Volvo, volvo jakob, VolvoJakob ]

Geneva 2008: Volvo XC60 softroads in style

Volvo's entrance into the ever-expanding crossover segment was finally revealed here in Geneva when the wraps were pulled off the new XC60. The swoopy, Swedish cute 'ute will make its way Stateside later this year powered by the turbocharged T6, producing 281 hp and coming standard with all-wheel-drive and Volvo's extensive safety features. Aside from the Instant Traction control, a new system, dubbed City Safety, applies the brakes if a low-speed impact is imminent. Volvo expects to unload around 50,000 XC60s a year, with 15,000-20,000 units sold here in the U.S.
Volvo's exhaustive press release is posted after the jump.

[ Via: Autoblog (Volvo) ]
[ Tag: geneva, geneva 2008, geneva motor show, Geneva2008, GenevaMotorShow, volvo, volvo xc60, VolvoXc60, xc60 ]

New Jersey bound: Volvo going back to the Garden State

After years of hanging out in the California sun, Volvo is headed back to Jersey. The move comes as Ford is nearly finished selling its Jaguar and Land Rover brands, which means the Blue Oval no longer has enough tenants to justify paying for a facility in SoCal. Ford's Swedish brand is going to re-merge its living quarters with its service center in Rockleigh, NJ, and Dearborn will save plenty of cash as a result. One interesting aspect of the move is the impact it will have on Volvo's workforce. Nissan lost quite a few of its people when it moved to Tennessee, and with a drastic move from California to New Jersey, we imagine there are quite a few Californians uninterested in living the Jersey lifestyle.

[ Via: The Car Connection ]
[ Tag: California Move, CaliforniaMove, Ford, Volvo ]

Ford PAG abandoning California HQ

After setting up its Premium Automotive Group back in the late '90s, Ford built the luxury über-division an award-winning, shiny new facility in Irvine, California in 2001, far away from the parent company's influence in Dearborn, Michigan, as the American hub for the predominantly European group. Since then, however, PAG has been slowly dwindling away, as Lincoln was separated from the group, Aston Martin was recently sold off and Jaguar and Land Rover are on the verge of departure, as well. Once those two brands are gone, only Volvo will remain. Now the last remaining PAG constituent is moving its U.S. operations to Rockleigh, New Jersey.The shift to the East Coast for Volvo is expected to cut overhead and increase the overlap in working hours with PAG's headquarters in England and Volvo HQ in Sweden, but puts another nail in the coffin of former Ford CEO Jacques Nasser's grand vision of a profit-generating luxury enterprise. Witness one more burned-out star saying goodbye to Hollywood.

[ Via: Automotive News ]
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VIDEO: Volvo's 81-year history in 9 minutes

Volvo has been making automobiles since April 14, 1927, and while most of us know Volvo for its safe and sometimes fun-to-drive vehicles, the Swedish automaker's history is of course more complicated than that. For instance, Volvo earned its reputation as a safe automaker before it sold a single car by getting in a head-to-head accident with an American car, which totaled the domestic while only scratching the Volvo. Volvo also featured the first standard three-point safety belt and was the first automaker to have a catalytic converter. Hit the jump to catch up on Volvology. It's a very solid nine-minute Volvo history course, even if it fails to mention current owner Ford all-together.

[ Via: YouTube ]
[ Tag: 240, 850, Ford, Rally Racing, RallyRacing, Sweden, Volvo History, VolvoHistory ]

Volvo to offer T6 engine option in XC70 this fall

The Volvo XC70 recently spent some time in the Autoblog Garage, and while we liked the vehicle overall, we had a few major complaints: its high price, poor gas mileage and a noticeable lack of power. At least one of those issues will be rectified somewhat this fall when Volvo begins offering the turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine for the XC70. This engine is already available in the S80 sedan, and since the V70 and XC70 use similar chassis architecture, it was only a matter of time before the T6 engine migrated down the line. The 281 horsepower of the T6 engine should offer a useful improvement over the standard 235 horsepower 3.2 liter six. According to AutoWeek, the T6 model will be the crossover's flagship, so it seems unlikely that the 311 horsepower V8 will show up underhood any time soon. Power often covers a multitude of sins, so we're betting that the boosted-six will prove to be a popular option among buyers.

[ Via: AutoWeek ]
[ Tag: t6, volvo, volvo t6, volvo wagon, volvo xc70, volvo-t6, volvo-wagon, volvo-xc70, VolvoT6, VolvoWagon, VolvoXc70, xc-70, xc70, xc70 t6, xc70-t6, Xc70T6 ]

New York 2008: Volvo C30 R-Design is R-some

Volvo directed its efforts at the New York Auto Show toward debuting the XC60 SUV for North America, but quietly standing sentinel at the front of the display was the C30 R-Design. There's not much to complain about when you gaze upon any C30, though the R-Design trimmings offer sprinkles on the cupcake. The cars will be exclusive, with oly 400 hitting showrooms in April for a base price of $25,700. The easiest way to spot the special Swedish hatches will be the metallic mirror housings, grille and grille crossbar. There's also a subtle R-Design badge affixed to the grille to identify the car as something just a little special. Special paint colors will also set off the R-Design cars, and the body kit-equipped car we photographed shined resplendently in Black Sapphire. Interior changes consist of blue-faced gauges like the actual high-performance S60R (RIP) and R-Design logos embossed into the leather inserts on the seats and metal accent bits around the cabin. The R-Design cars are more style than substance, but the exclusivity will be of value to buyers who like to have something special, and the T5 powertrain that all U.S.-bound C30s carry offers snappy performance already.
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Volvo Announces Pricing for the C30 R-Design for 2008Unique style and exclusivity starts at just $25,700* New York, NY (March 19, 2008) - Following hot on the heels of the news of the Limited Edition C30 R-Design, Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA) today announced pricing for the 400 C30s that will go on sale in April. With a base MSRP of just $25,700* the Limited Edition C30 R-Design brings new levels of style and unique appointments to the smallest and most expressive car in Volvo's lineup. At first glance, the C30 R-Design catches the eye with its distinctive exterior enhancements. Premium touches include a matte-silver finish for the outside mirror housings, front grille surround and iconic Volvo grille "strap." To signify that this C30 is truly special, an R-Design badge has been affixed to the grille. Customers can select from four exterior colors: Black Sapphire, Titanium Grey, Orinoco Blue and Passion Red. Sport Body kit, tailgate spoiler, large diameter exhaust tips, etc. are additional exterior enhancements that add to the C30 R-Design's dynamic personality. Stepping inside the cabin, the driver and three passengers are rewarded with sporty and premium cues befitting the stature of this truly special Volvo. Seats are swathed with off-black Flex-tech while the cushions and backrests are trimmed in contrasting crème-colored leather. The R-Design logo is embossed neatly into the front bucket seatbacks. Inspired by Volvo's legendary high-performance R models, the C30 R-Design sports a blue-face instrument cluster. The C30's signature super-slim center console is finished with a unique inlay with subtle circular patterns that take the standard aluminum inlay to the next level. A special leather-wrapped steering with aluminum inlays proudly displays the R-Design logo. Additional features include sport pedals, sport shifter, and floor mats. Like the regular production C30, the R-Design delivers an exhilarating driving experience with its turbocharged T5 5-cylinder engine that produces 227-horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,800 to 5,000 rpm. Equipped as a complete package which includes 18" Atreus wheels and Sirius Satellite Radio with a 6 month introductory subscription as std. equipment, customers can select from an abbreviated list of options for the C30 R-Design including 5-speed Geartronic transmission, DVD-based navigation system with real time traffic, power driver's seat, Climate Package, power glass moonroof, bi-xenon headlights, Serapis alloy wheels and Dynaudio premium sound system.

[ Via: Autoblog (Volvo) ]
[ Tag: ]

This needed to happen: RWD Volvo C30

While Volvo's C30 has wily charms in its stock configuration, we could see how it'd be even more entertaining with the power being sent to the proper wheels. While we're talking revisions, a honkingly large turbocharger and external-reservoir dampers would be welcome additions, too. The race-ready ride height is dead sexy, and while it's a crazy thing to do to a perfectly good brand new Volvo, Sweden's Skruffse has carried out some beautiful fabrication work. The use is obviously racing of some sort, and with wide tires at all four corners we're surmising that it's something that involves turning, versus drag racing. Seeing this car's tow rig - a first-generation V70, it all comes together -- those willing to strip the C30 down like a stolen Pinto and rejigger the chassis are true Volvo nuts. We're pretty sure the warranty has been voided, though.

[ Via: CarScoop ]
[ Tag: c30 hatchback, c30 racecar, C30Hatchback, C30Racecar, racing c30, RacingC30, rear wheel drive, RearWheelDrive, rwd, rwd c30, RwdC30, volvo c30, volvo hatchback, VolvoC30, VolvoHatchback ]

Volvo C30 R-Design priced from $26,445

Following up on our story about the Volvo C30 R-Design at the New York Auto Show, Volvo announced pricing today for its sporty hatchback tunerish trim level. MSRP will be $25,700, plus destination charges of $745. Doing simple math, you can put one of these hot turbocharged Swedes in your garage at a base price of $26,445. Of course, most of you will want to add available goodies such as the DVD-based navigation, bi-xenon headlights, or the Dynaudio premium sound system...and they'll cost you extra, which will balloon the price into what many consider too dear for a Swedish hatchback.If a cosmetically-enhanced C30 is just your thing, however, we suggest you act fast. With a production run limited to just 400 examples, the exclusive R-Design will probably roll quickly out of showrooms starting in April.
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Volvo Announces Pricing for the C30 R-Design for 2008
Unique style and exclusivity starts at just $25,700* New York, NY (March 19, 2008) - Following hot on the heels of the news of the Limited Edition C30 R-Design, Volvo Cars of North America, LLC (VCNA) today announced pricing for the 400 C30s that will go on sale in April. With a base MSRP of just $25,700* the Limited Edition C30 R-Design brings new levels of style and unique appointments to the smallest and most expressive car in Volvo's lineup. At first glance, the C30 R-Design catches the eye with its distinctive exterior enhancements. Premium touches include a matte-silver finish for the outside mirror housings, front grille surround and iconic Volvo grille "strap." To signify that this C30 is truly special, an R-Design badge has been affixed to the grille. Customers can select from four exterior colors: Black Sapphire, Titanium Grey, Orinoco Blue and Passion Red. Sport Body kit, tailgate spoiler, large diameter exhaust tips, etc. are additional exterior enhancements that add to the C30 R-Design's dynamic personality.Stepping inside the cabin, the driver and three passengers are rewarded with sporty and premium cues befitting the stature of this truly special Volvo. Seats are swathed with off-black Flex-tech while the cushions and backrests are trimmed in contrasting crème-colored leather. The R-Design logo is embossed neatly into the front bucket seatbacks.Inspired by Volvo's legendary high-performance R models, the C30 R-Design sports a blue-face instrument cluster. The C30's signature super-slim center console is finished with a unique inlay with subtle circular patterns that take the standard aluminum inlay to the next level. A special leather-wrapped steering with aluminum inlays proudly displays the R-Design logo. Additional features include sport pedals, sport shifter, and floor mats.Like the regular production C30, the R-Design delivers an exhilarating driving experience with its turbocharged T5 5-cylinder engine that produces 227-horsepower and 236 lb.-ft. of torque from 1,800 to 5,000 rpm. Equipped as a complete package which includes 18" Atreus wheels and Sirius Satellite Radio with a 6 month introductory subscription as std. equipment, customers can select from an abbreviated list of options for the C30 R-Design including 5-speed Geartronic transmission, DVD-based navigation system with real time traffic, power driver's seat, Climate Package, power glass moonroof, bi-xenon headlights, Serapis alloy wheels and Dynaudio premium sound system. VCNA provides marketing, sales, service, technology and training to Volvo automobile retailers in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. For more information on the entire Volvo product lineup please refer to the Volvo Cars of North America, LLC, public relations website at: http://www.volvocars-pr.com/.* Price does not include destination charges of $745

[ Via: Autoblog (Volvo) ]
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VIDEO: Volvo wants to eliminate in-car injuries and death by 2020

Follow the jump for the video report on Volvo's safety goals
We all know how seriously Volvo approaches vehicle safety. At least we thought we did. In a new Reuters video feature, we learn that the safety-obsessed Swedish automaker has goals far loftier than we had imagined. You see, Volvo has set a goal of zero injuries or deaths to passengers in its vehicles by the year 2020. According to reporter Paul Chapman, Volvo wants to create a car that basically "forms a giant bumper" around its occupants to protect them if and when the need arises. A Volvo representative quoted on camera goes on to state that beyond the elimination of crash-related death and injury, Volvo would like to see the elimination of car accidents altogether.
While this admirable sentiment undoubtedly serves as a goal-setting mechanism for Volvo safety engineers, it's hard to view it as anything other than hopeless optimism unless you completely remove the human element from driving (and presumably replace all cars with Miracle Safety Volvos). You can build the most perfect car in the world and equip it with the greatest safety features imaginable, but cars can't predict everything, and humans are anything but predictable -- as any readers who commute amongst the general populace can attest. We'll know Volvo's really getting closer to safety Nirvana when it unveils a feature that determines when the driver next to you is simultaneously steering with his knees, reading a newspaper, sending text messages, and eating Ramen noodles at highway velocity.
Watch the full report after the jump.

[ Via: Autoblog (Volvo) ]
[ Tag: no fatalities, no injuries, NoFatalities, NoInjuries, volvo 2020 safety goal, Volvo2020SafetyGoal ]

Volvo for Life Grand Award winner chosen

At New York's Cipriani restaurant on 42nd Street, Volvo presented its sixth annual Volvo for Life Awards and named Marilyn Adams the Grand Award Winner in the Safety category. The panel of judges -- including Hank Aaron, Sen. Bill Bradley, Maya Lin, Dr. Sally Ride, Dr. Mae Jemison, Eunice Kennedy Shriver, and Edsel B. Ford II -- selected Marilyn because of her Farm Safety 4 Just Kids organization that teaches, as you guessed, farm safety for the young'ins'.
Two decades ago Adams' 11-year-old son was killed in a gravity flow wagon on the first day of the harvest. Inspired by her loss, and by the realization that kids between the ages of 5 and 14 were 66-percent more likely to be injured in a farm accident than adults aged 45 to 64, she started the non-profit Farm Safety Just 4 Kids. The organization has thousands of volunteers across America and Canada teaching rural kids how to stay safe and healthy. For her efforts, Adams's organization gets a $100,000 contribution from Volvo, and Adams will receive a new Volvo every three years for the rest of her life.
The other top category winners in Environment and Quality of Life, Matthew Sanford and Lorraine Kerwood, each get $100,000 donated to their work. Volvo also named ten-year-old Zach Bonner of Valrico, Fla., the winner of the Alexandra Scott Butterfly Award and presented him with $25,000 for a charity of his choice.

[ Via: Volvo ]
[ Tag: awards, charities, marilyn adams, MarilynAdams, volvo, volvo for life, volvo for life awards, VolvoForLife, VolvoForLifeAwards ]

Change your C30's character with official swappable designs

Looking at the pictures above and in our gallery below, you may think that Volvo has either totally lost it or forgot that April Fools Day is on the first of the month. But we're assured this is real and even visited Volvo's official Swedish media site for verification. Beginning on April 7th, Volvo C30 owners in Sweden can completely change the character of their car by ordering one of 20 different nonpermanent films that safely adhere to the exterior of their hatches. The designs are outlandish to say the least and include everything from mock woodie panels to zebra stripes to pink camo to gay pride colors (probably an unintended association for that last one, but it works). The film, which in some cases appears to cover every exterior surface, is guaranteed not to hurt the paint, but actually protect it for up to two years when it's time to replace the film. It is an investment though at the equivalent of $3,130 USD, which is probably more than what it would cost to have the car custom painted with any of these designs. But then it couldn't be removed when you wise up and realize your car looks absolutely ridiculous.

[ Via: Autoblog (Volvo) ]
[ Tag: c30 gay pride, c30 woodie, C30GayPride, C30Woodie, volvo c30, VolvoC30 ]

Ford stock up thanks to Kerkorian, Volvo remains "not for sale"

Kirk Kerkorian's associate Jerry York stated last Thursday that Ford would do well to sell Volvo and extinguish Mercury. Coincidentally (or not) Ford's stock zoomed up to one of the highest price levels it's seen in the last six months. Tracinda Corporation, Kerkorian's firm, has expressed faith in Mulally's leadership and his plan to strengthen the automaker. There has been speculation about a sale of Volvo in the past, and punditry has been begging the Blue Oval to do something with Mercury, or put it out of its misery, for years.
While York seems certain that Volvo will be on the market in less than two years time, Ford continues to state that the Swedish subsidiary is not for sale. Looking at the Premier Auto Group shuffle of the last year, though, it could certainly be deduced that Volvo will indeed go on the market soon. Moving the brand out of the PAG location in Irvine, CA and back to Rockleigh, NJ, where Volvo had set up shop when it first started selling cars in the United States, is a move that set off whispers of impending sale. While it might be nothing more than right-sizing office space for Volvo now that the rest of the Premier Auto Group is gone, a cross country move is a deft way to trim operational fat without layoffs, and divorcing Volvo's North American operations from Ford locations makes an ownership transition easier, too. While Ford and Volvo products share a lot of engineering and parts, a well-negotiated deal wouldn't preclude a sale that gently phases out the currently entwined platforms as they age and replacements are brought to market.

[ Via: Automotive News ]
[ Tag: ford, ford motor company, ford pag, ford premier auto group, ford stock, FordMotorCompany, FordPag, FordPremierAutoGroup, FordStock, kirk kerkorian, kirk kerkorians tra..., kirk kirkorkian, KirkKerkorian, KirkKerkoriansTra..., KirkKirkorkian, premier auto group, PremierAutoGroup, tracinda, tracinda corp, tracinda corp., TracindaCorp, TracindaCorp., volvo, volvo sale, VolvoSale ]

Wagons Ho! Volvo V70 gets R-Design treatment

Once upon a time, there was a subtle wagon called the V70R who's meek outward appearance belied the snortiest turbo 5-cylinder Volvo has ever put in a production car. All-wheel-drive helped the power get to the ground instead of immolating the front tires, and the R sat atop the V70 trim-level range. Alas, the R is no more. While it was awesome and amusing, it was also outgunned by the competition, even with 300 hard-breathing horsepower. Still, there are those who desire the look and demeanor of the R, while finding no fault with the lesser powertrains that Volvo offers.
Those buyers can find what they're looking for with the new V70 R-Design package on the third generation wagon. Since the demise of the R, the V70 has moved up to become the wagon version of the S80, and the R-Line package adds a little visual oomph and chassis verve to the big estate. Ride height has been reduced and thicker swaybars are added, along with higher durometer bushings in the suspension. Like we saw on the C30 R-Design, matte finish metal accents are added to exterior pieces like the mirror housings and grille surround. Sporty-looking exhaust outlets, a rear spoiler and 18-inch wheels round out the exterior changes. The interior gets blue-faced gauges, unique metal trim pieces, and Volvo's already excellent seats get R-Design logos and sportier bolstering. The R-Design package adds £2,000 or so to the price of a UK V70, a decent price for a handling upgrade and a hunkered look. Volvo hasn't decided whether to bring it to the United States yet. If it does come to the North American market, the V70 R-Design will be a 2009 model, and we'll know by early summer if we have to look longingly across the pond for a clean-looking, sporty-driving wagon.

[ Via: Autoblog (Volvo) ]
[ Tag: volvo r, volvo r-design, volvo r-line, volvo v70, volvo wagon, volvo wagons, VolvoR, VolvoR-design, VolvoR-line, VolvoV70, VolvoWagon, VolvoWagons ]

You know what they say: Court orders Volvo to pay man with big feet

"Hey, Stompy, you wanna take a test drive?
Nein, I'll just take the one in black, please."
So goes the imagined conversation between Michael Herzog, he of size 12 (UK) feet, and the Volvo dealer from whom he purchased a C70. Herzog says his feet are too large for the pedal box in his Volvo, precluding use of that most essential pedal, the accelerator. The issue went to court in Wiesloch, Germany, where a judge ruled that size 12 is not freakishly large, so Volvo should have designed a car to accommodate that size foot. Size 12 on UK size charts is about the same as a U.S. size 12, so it's not an incomprehensibly large foot. The dealer has been directed to refund five percent of the purchase price, a total of £1,350, to pay for a custom pair of shoes that allow the owner to drive his new car, as well as compensate him for time lost to shoe-changes. And we thought the U.S. was litigious.

[ Via: am-online ]
[ Tag: big feet, BigFeet, volvo big foot, volvo c70, volvo feet, volvo lawsuit, VolvoBigFoot, VolvoC70, VolvoFeet, VolvoLawsuit ]